About the Book

This book examines entrepreneurship and small business in Russia and key countries of Eastern Europe, showing how far small businesses have developed, and discusses how far 'market reforms' and a market mentality have been taken up by ordinary people in the real everyday economy. For each of the countries examined - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Estonia - the book reviews the progress of market reforms within the wider context of social and economic transformation, surveys the development of entrepreneurship and small firms so far, and assesses the role of government in the process, and the strengths and weaknesses of the small business sector.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction Part A: Setting The Scene 2. Entrepreneurship, SME Development and the Transformation Process 3. Entrepreneurship In Transition Economies: A Conceptual Review Part B: Entrepreneurship And Small Business Development in Former Soviet Republics 4 Employment in New and Small Firms: The Example of the Russian Federation 5. Coping with Adversity: The Case of Belarus 6. Innovation and Entrepreneurship under Transition Conditions: The Example of the Ukraine Part C: Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development in Central and Eastern Europe 7. Poland: EU Accession and Entrepreneurship Development 8. From the Former Soviet Union to Membership of the European Union: The Case of Estonia 9. Conclusions

About the Authors

David Smallbone is Professor of Small Business and Entrepreneurship in the Small Business Research Centre at Kingston University, UK and Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship at the China University of Geosciences, Wuhan. Apart from entrepreneurship in transition economies, his current research interests include ethnic minority enterprise, rural entrepreneurship and small business policy.

Friederike Welter is Professor for Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship at the University Siegen in Germany and holds the TeliaSonera Professorship for Entrepreneurship at Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia. Her current research interests include entrepreneurship in a transition context, women’s entrepreneurship and strategic development of small business.

About the Series

There is a growing polarization in the international economy for companies to become either transnational corporations or small businesses. This dualism means the experience of the small business is quite different to that of a large corporation. The life of a small business is often shorter, riskier and more entwined with the personality of the entrepreneur. In this prestigious series, case-studies and the latest research are used to reveal the regional, national and international role of the small business.